Tag: bullies

Bullied kids are depressed kids and I know that too well. Do you want to know why? Well, I’ll tell you. I have been bullied a lot and I know how it feels. It’s all about being different in some way. Kids who are like all the other kids usually are not bullied. You would be surprised at how even a little difference can cause unkind kids to bully. Parents may not have any idea that there is something about their child that can make him or her a target of bullying.

Here is an example of what I am saying. Oh! Before I forget! If you are new here, you might not know that I am a dog. In fact, I am a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. That makes me very different because I don’t have a tail like other dogs. Pembroke Welsh Corgis don’t have tails! I bet you didn’t know that!

There is another reason that I understand bullying. I use a wheelchair because I had a bad accident. If you are interested in finding out more about me, you can look here.

Now that you know a little about me, I will go on with what I started to say.

The other day, my mom and I were visiting some friends that were having a pool party. My friend was very sad and at first, he didn’t tell me why. Then he “spilled” everything to me when the adults went into the house. Because we were alone, he told me that he was being bullied at school. It was hard to believe because he is one very cool kid. He is smart, handsome, athletic and very kind.

Bullied Kids = Depressed Kids – I Can Help Build Self-Esteem

He told me that he was being bullied at lunchtime because of what he ate. He has a sensitivity to some foods that have wheat, sugar, and dyes. That means he can’t have sandwiches or sweet or colored foods. His mom packs his lunch with nuts, meats, vegetables, fruits and stuff like that. He was very depressed and down in the dumps about it.

We talked for a long time and I listened to the things he had to say. Because I understand bullying, there were some ideas I shared with him to help his situation. I could see that he was not as sad after we talked. And I was sure he would feel better after he saw the bullying kids the next time.

Please come back to find out what I said and how the kids at school reacted.

GUESS WHAT? I’m back and my blog has a brand new look but I am still the old me! I am so excited about the renovations here because I want to make it easier for you to figure out all of the things that I already know.

I want you to be able to see what needs to be done to help everyone feel better about themselves no matter what their differences are! And I want to make the process faster because I am impatient sometimes!

It’s kind of like being in the dark until the curtains are opened. You know what it feels like when the warm sunshine lights up your world and the darkness goes away. Sunshine helps everyone feel better and when we feel better, we can improve the way we see ourselves and the world around us.

That’s what my new website can and will do. And guess what? Along with the new look of the site, I am going to be putting my two cents more because I know all about overcoming adversity and how important self esteem is.

That’s all there is to it! Don’t forget that I’m Rugby Jones to the rescue!

Self-Esteem matters! If this were your child or a child you care about, how would you handle things with him? Well, I don’t have kids but I sure know about them and I know how kids like this often become targets of bullying.

If you ask yourself what do you want for him or her? Be realistic okay? If your kid is short, he won’t usually become tall overnight. If he wears glasses or needs some other type of assistance, that isn’t likely to change. There isn’t any point in telling a kid that he or she is perfect because they know differently. What’s important is to do things that help a child believe in himself or herself. Their self-esteem matters and kids need to understand that the way they think about themselves is the same way that others think about them.

Self-Esteem

If you look at the picture above, you see a kid who is facing two potential bullies. Instead of the boy showing them a fearful and easily bullied kid, he is facing them and saying “Hi.” Why? Because he has a realistic knowledge of who he is and what he is about. He may not be the most popular or the most athletic or the best looking but he is who he is! He likes himself and others see that. When kids like themselves the world sees them differently!

Spend some time where parents and kids gather. You’ll hear all kinds of comments from parents like, “You were wonderful. You did the best. No one else did as well as you did.” That seems like a good thing… right?

New studies are showing that exaggerated or overstated praise can back fire especially with children with low self-esteem. What the studies found was that kids with low self-esteem were more likely to choose easier tasks after they received inflated statements of praise. Often they will be afraid of failure because so much is expected of them. The opposite is true when parents say things like, “You worked hard.”

Kids worry about school starting because they may not know what to do or where to go. Whether they are popular or not they will still worry. Kids with special needs worry more because of the complexities that they must face. Whenever a new school year begins, all kids need to know what to expect.

There are a lot of things that parents can do so that their children will feel more confident. Since most schools offer the opportunity for parents and children to visit prior to the first day of school, the task should be an easy one. Hopefully your child’s school does have a plan in place so that it will be a simple process. When your child’s school doesn’t have a plan, you will have to make your own arrangements.

To illustrate, you can make a call and talk to someone at the school and relate your concerns. During the call, ask if your child can meet his or her teachers. Additionally, ask for a map of the school so that you and your child can get to know where things are. Remember that it is especially important for children to know where their classrooms, the cafeteria, locker and rest rooms are.

Finally, one of the best gifts that parents and teachers can do for a child is to find a buddy who knows where things are and one who will be willing to sit with the child at lunch. As we all know, it is demoralizing to have to sit alone. Even more, it offers bullies a good opportunity to make fun of a child.

These things may not seem important to you as an adult but please don’t dismiss their concerns. The issue becomes magnified when children are going to a new school or when they have special needs. In addition, kids worry about being bullied if they don’t know where they are going or what they need to do.

In addition, parents please talk to your children about helping out new kids. After that, talk to them about bullying and let them know that you will not tolerate it.

Specifically Kids Worry about Things Like:

· Will I know where to go for my classes?

· Will anyone sit with me at lunch?

· Will I be able to find my locker?

· Will I be able to open my locker?

· Will I be able to find the rest room when I need to?

· Will I get on the right bus?

· Will kids like me?

· Will I make new friends?

We would love to hear your suggestions as to help children prepare for the start of the new school year.

Search

Beverly N Smith, Med Reading Consultant Specialist

Written from a cute and smart disabled dog’s mouth, Rugby Jones reinforces children’s “Growth Mindset” that they can do anything if they believe they can! I highly recommend this book as a wonderful springboard for parent/child discussions as well as use in a classroom situation followed by discussions and writing opportunities.

Written from a cute and smart disabled dog’s mouth, Rugby Jones reinforces children’s “Growth Mindset” that they can do anything if they believe they can! I highly recommend this book as a wonderful springboard for parent/child discussions as well as use in a classroom situation followed by discussions and writing opportunities. - Beverly N Smith, Med – Reading Consultant/Specialist